dancing fuel gauge

[MMMC]

Hi - not sure whether this is a common fault but my fuel gauge seems to have a mind of its own. It works OK at over half a tank but once it dips below half it seems to do its own thing...one minute it will register half full then quater then empty....any clues?

 

[easy]

Mine has a little dance around once in a while. Usually the sender is a t fault. It is a pig to sort though, so if you can live with it I would 8)

 

[MMMC]

thought it might be a tough one to fix...it seems to be a very slow dance though...it doesn't bounce around more tell you one thing for a while then another. Thought it was my new webers drinking to much at first..

Easy - do your webers make a like trickling sound after you've switched the engine off...

 

[easy]

Not that I know of? :shock: :?:

 

[MMMC]

I know it sounds mental...maybe you could have a listen next time? it can't be petrol cause the fuel pump is off...

 

[easy]

will have a listen for ya at the weekend 8)

 

[MMMC]

cheers mate

 

[easy]

No probs. Mind you it may be a bit confusing with all the cider swilling about at Vanwest though :shock: so will have a listen when I am laying down suitably refreshed in the engine of me van :shock: :lol: 8)

 

[MMMC]

laying down after you've had the cider....you could be hearing anything! The engines talking to me!

Just looked on the maddness of the samba - I always come away confused from there....some bloke said that the fuel tank wasn't breathing and creating a vacuum....something to do with the needle valves not being good. He had to drill a small hole in his fuel cap to stop the pressure dragging the fuel through the system....

 

[easy]

At the end of the day there must be a problem if its different from stock as VW would have drilled the hole themselves.

I will do some digging around at the weekend to see what I can come up with.

Mind you Mr slammed Kustom from on here will more than likely know

 

[slammedkustom]

normally the problem is a bad earth on the sender or the gauge.
unfortunatly you cannot get to the sender with the engine in on a bay so its an engine out job or cut an access hole in the bus :shock:
id look at your wiring and give it a bit of a clean on the contacts, also the fuse's... give them a tickle with some emery.

you could drill a tiny hole in the cap to relive the pressure as the breather pipes may have perished over time causing the vacumn mentioned.
there isnt a quick fix really and it may be that the senders on its way out.

otherwise always carry a jerry can! :wink:

 

[easy]

and a hat incase of rain :mrgreen:

 

[MMMC]

cheers SK & easy...

I don't think the problems are related....I went off on a tangent...

The webers (34 ICTs) have just gone on so it could be an installation problem...its just wierd hearing them making a sucking trickling sound when the engines off...maybe I can try releasing the fuel cap next time to see if the noise stops...

On the fuel gauge problem it sounds as though I will have to live with it....jerry can and brolly it is...

 

[easy]

Do clean all the wires connected with it though as this may cure it and a dodgy earth lead is never anyones friend :roll:

 

[slammedkustom]

Do clean all the wires connected with it though as this may cure it and a dodgy earth lead is never anyones friend :roll:

Too true!

but the weird noise may be some kind of vapour lock? try drilling a hole or just popping the cap off next time it does it...